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Monday, 7 November 2016

Dubai - Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Hotal

I am finally talking about Dubai! It has genuinely taken over a month because I knew writing about it wouldn't help the post-holiday blues. We flew with Emirates (so amazing) overnight on a Thursday, arriving in Dubai at 7am local time on Friday. Neither of us had slept on the flight so we were both very tired. So we got a taxi straight to the hotel. The Palm isn't too far from the airport, maybe 30 minutes but it is so big that even once you reach there, there's a lot more driving to come. From the minute we stepped out the taxi, I knew Zabeel Saray was special. Part of the Jumeirah group which boast a huge number of hotels worldwide, they specialise in service and a first class experience. While Zabeel Saray is classed as a 5 star hotel in Dubai I would say it's probably about 8 stars by UK standards.

Our bags were taken to be stored and we were shown to reception where we were given cool towels and drinks. Because it was so early our room wasn't ready but instead the lady at check in gave us a lot of information (maybe a little too much given how tired we were) and we were given passes for complimentary tea or coffee, access to the spa and told to make full use of the pool facilities. So, after a quick tea and rummage in our bags, we set up camp by the pool and there we stayed for the day. Catching up on sleep, enjoying the sunshine and the view and making the most of the pool.

Andy isn't very good at just lying by the pool so after a few hours he went to see if our room was ready (they had given us an old Nokia and said they'd ring). He was told that our room wasn't ready but there was one that was ready and because we were there on honeymoon we'd been upgraded.The room was breathtaking. An amazing view over The Palm with Atlantis in the distance. A huge bed, an amazing bathroom with a walk in shower and an incredible marble Turkish bath that I'm pretty sure is bigger than my bedroom!

The extra touches were also amazing. When we were shown to our room, our bags were already there and we were given a tour to make sure we were happy with where everything was and how to use the TV etc.

Every day the room was cleaned and the bed stripped and each evening the turndown service included a bottle of water and a chocolate next to the bed. Throughout our stay we felt like none of the staff could do enough for us. Every single member of staff was polite, friendly and welcoming. Every time we stepped out a lift we were greeted by a member of staff each time. The little touches really made the experience, from pouring drinks for us to putting our towels on the sunbeds. It was definitely luxury and service that I haven't really experienced before. We were also left a card and some fresh fruit to celebrate our honeymoon.

The hotel itself was palatial. We were on the second floor of a possible five (?) I think! The hotel included rooms, suites, the spa, restaurants, shops and a huge reception area with beautiful fountains. Outside was the infinity pool, a huge area for sunbathing, another restaurant, a kids area and access to an amazing beach. Honestly, I could gush about how amazing the hotel was, but to summarise the whole experience was like staying in a paradise of luxury and I really didn't want to leave.

Thank you for a wonderful stay, Jabeel Saray, we can't wait to visit again!